Jem and the Holograms

Yeah, yeah... I know that this kind of movie is not my usual cup of tea. In fact, several months ago I caught a couple of episodes of the 1980s animated TV show that this movie was based on, and I thought they were silly crud. The only reason why I decided to watch this movie was that I was curious to see how they would make a "Jem" movie on a budget of just $5 million. I will give the filmmakers this: The movie does look a lot more expensive than it actually is. And I thought that the acting wasn't all that bad. But the movie ultimately fails because of its script. The story is padded out to an excessive level, lasting almost two hours in length; it shouldn't have had to be that long. Well, it could have worked at two hours in length, but as it is, the story is alternately boring and extremely predictable. If you have seen ANY movie before about young people becoming famous, you'll always be one step ahead of this telling. Even if you were a fan of the "Jem" television show, it's unlikely you'll find this live action version endearing.

I'm not sure what the point of calling this Jem and the Holograms is. It bears no real connection to the fun '80s cartoon series. Instead, this is a boring and predictable teen drama that rips off everything from Hannah Montana to Earth to Echo. So you make a property based on an old cartoon and toy line and then proceed to alienate any viewers who might want to check it out for nostalgia's sake. On top of that, your movie kinda blows anyway so you can forget adding any new fans. The songs suck, the actors are forgettable, and the script doesn't have a single original idea. There's also this annoying YouTube crap that keeps popping up. I get it. You're trying to make a Jem for the generation that has such a thing as "YouTube popular." That's an idea that should have been killed in any of the pre-production meetings they undoubtedly had before this thing was made. It's a misfire from start to finish. It likely won't appeal to any of the fans of the original Jem and I can't imagine it will hold much appeal to any younger fans, excepting those who might be crushing on a couple of the actors.

Really - it was truly outrageous because of how terrible it was. Jem in name only. This movie resembled absolutely NOTHING from the series and the acting was so cringeworthy, I could barely watch them spew their lines out. I would like to blame it on their youth, but there are many young female actors who are far superior. I really am disappointed in this movie, the trailer on YouTube has more dislikes than likes, that's how terrible it is. After all the excitement I had about finally seeing a Jem movie in the works, I can't really explain how I feel let down by it. If you grew up wanting to be Jem, like I did, then seriously you're going to leave the theatre feeling annoyed and quite frankly bored. The storyline left a lot to be desired, it really felt more like Hannah Montana than the Holograms - a pretty-yet-plain "uncool" sobbing girl who magically becomes a web sensation overnight, even though she's not a cat playing the piano - it just didn't feel real, especially when a wig and pink eyeshadow are hardly the tools of a master of disguise. It was genuinely nothing like I remember, nothing like the girls who inspired me to dye my hair bright colors and it was a total waste of money.

Dear Hollywood. This is how to do it wrong. Take a much loved nostalgia item and childhood institution like Jem, Ignore the source material, alienate the true fan base, Fail to advertise to the tween girl fan base and fail to mention its a family movie suitable for moms and daughters. I hate this movie. Because it is not what it claims to be. Jem and the Holograms. This is Hanna Montana with a be yourself and love your friends final moral.

Advertised as a re imagining(under a different Title) and presented to moms and daughters as a good family movie it could have done well. It is a touching and well told story, The acting is good and the plot is OK. But It is Not Jem. It was not well advertised and Kids now Don't know or care who Jem was. This was a film for 30+ year olds who grew up with it. And had we been given what we remembered we would have rewarded the studio with our money. But it was made for 14 year olds who have seen the same thing before as Hanna Montana.

So ends the one shot we will get at a Jem movie. A badly presented/advertised fraud that was a good family movie and had its potential ignored.

People... i think the 8-10 star reviews must be cast and staff of the film... bad... really bad... call it Hanna Montana the reckoning before you call it Jem. Please don't believe what they are saying above.. they already used social media to trick fans with their bogus casting call out and nicked you-tube scenes...

The acting is phoned in and talentless... the plot is recycled bumph that a four year old would wright and was mind numbing boring.. so much so i counted the hairs in my forearm to keep sane.... there were 12 as i pulled the rest out to form my own entertainment. Buy the DVD if you want a shiny Frisby or wind catcher.